New York Chapter, American Institute of Architects AIA Guide to New York City

The format is approximately 5 inches by 10.125 inches. xii, 464, [4] pages. Illustrated endpapers. Illustrations. Maps. Architectural Style Guide. Index. Some color used in text and maps. The dust jacket is price clipped and has some wear and soiling, including a scuff on front flap. This is not only a great reference work, but is also a nearly irreplaceable 'snapshot in time' for architectural information available in 1968 but not longer readily available more than a half-century later. Rare original edition of this important book, an exhaustive, geographically organized guide to the city's buildings, streets and landmarks. Covers all five boroughs with hundreds of photos, notes and descriptions. One of the most important NYC guide books published. In 1967, White and Willensky proposed a guide to New York City architecture to the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The AIA Guide to New York City, a guidebook featuring over 2,600 buildings in its first edition. Organized by neighborhood, this guide highlights the old, new and unique in New York's architecture. Norval Crawford White (June 12, 1926 ? December 26, 2009) was an American architect, architectural historian and professor. He designed buildings throughout the U.S., but he is best known for his writing, particularly the AIA Guide to New York City (with Elliot Willensky). White was widely considered to be one of the great figures of New York architecture. Though he started his career in architecture, Elliot Willensky became a prominent figure in the New York City historic preservation field during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. He participated in both governmental and grassroots efforts, which ranged from serving on the Landmarks Preservation Commission to organizing and participating in protests to save the old Pennsylvania Station. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach programs, and collaborates with other stakeholders in the design and construction industries. While many US-based architects are members of the AIA, it is not a professional requirement. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) was founded in 1857 in New York City by a group of thirteen architects. The founding members include Charles Babcock, Henry W. Cleaveland, Henry Dudley, Leopold Eidlitz, Edward Gardiner, Richard Morris Hunt, Detlef Lienau, Fred A. Petersen, Jacob Wrey Mould, John Welch, Richard M. Upjohn, and Joseph C. Wells, with Richard Upjohn serving as the first president. They held their inaugural meeting on February 23, 1857, and invited 16 additional architects to join, including Alexander Jackson Davis, Thomas U. Walter, Frederick Clarke Withers, and Calvert Vaux. There were no architectural schools or licensing laws in the United States at the time, allowing anyone to claim to be an architect. By March 10, 1857, they had drafted a constitution and bylaws under the name New York Society of Architects. The name was later changed to The American Institute of Architects at the suggestion of Thomas U. Walter. On April 15, 1857, the members signed the new constitution, having previously filed a certificate of incorporation two days earlier. The following year, the constitution was amended to include the mission of promoting the artistic, scientific, and practical aspects of architecture, facilitating professional interaction and camaraderie, raising the profession's standing, and uniting architects for the advancement of the field. In the 1860s, architects from other cities began joining AIA. By the 1880s, chapters had been established in Albany, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Rhode Island, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. AIA's headquarters also serves as the home of the American Institute of Architecture Students, the Association of Collegi.…